Why need free clone software for Windows 10?
Free cloning software for Windows 10 is essential in the following situations:
- System Upgrade: Easily clone your current drive to a larger one or switch to an SSD for better performance without reinstalling Windows and programs.
- Data Backup: Create an exact copy of your system for disaster recovery, ensuring all files, settings, and applications are preserved.
- No Technical Skills Required: Simplifies the cloning process, making it accessible even for beginners.
- Time-Saving: Cloning your drive eliminates the need to manually transfer data, reducing setup time after a hardware upgrade.
💡Does Windows 10 have a cloning tool?
Many users are seeking for Windows 10 built-in cloning tool. Unfortunately, Windows 10 doesn’t have a cloning program. To transfer your OS to another drive, you can create a system image and restore it to the new hard drive. However, this process can be time-consuming and prone to errors. For a simpler, more efficient solution, you may consider using a specialized third-party cloning tool.
Best cloning software for Windows 10 FREE
AOMEI Backupper Standard, the powerful yet free disk cloning software, can be one of your best choices.
🌟It can help you clone non-system HDD or SSD to another drive for free, keeping all the data intact. 🌟It allows you to clone only used parts to another drive with the "Intelligent Clone" technology, making it possible to clone larger drive to smaller drive. 🌟It allows you to make a 1:1 copy of a hard disk by using "Sector By Sector Clone" feature. 🌟It allows you to optimize the overall performance of SSD disk with "SSD Alignment" feature. 🌟It supports Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP (all editions, 32/64-bit), various disk brands such as Samsung, Crucial, WD and different disk types like SATA/M.2/NVMe.
To get to know how it works, you could download and install this freeware to get started.
Best free disk cloning software for personal use.
How to clone disk for free in Windows 10
Before cloning a hard drive in Windows 10, please make the following preparations:
◑ Install the target drive. If your computer has only one slot, you may need a SATA-to-USB adapter or enclosure to connect it. ◑ Backup your important data. The cloning process will overwrite everything on the target disk. If there are any important files on it, it's necessary to make a backup first. ◑ Delete some programs or files (optional). If you are cloning an HDD to a smaller SSD, you may clean up the source HDD to make it fit in the smaller drive more easily.
Then, follow these steps to clone one disk to another in Windows 10 for free. The same steps also apply to Windows 11, 8, 7, etc.
Step 1. Launch AOMEI Backupper and a simple interface will appear. You can click the Clone tab. Then, choose Disk Clone.
Step 2. Click on the disk to copy data from and click Next.
Step 3. Click on the new HDD or SSD to receive the cloned data and click Next.
Step 4. In this interface, you can have a preview. Then click Start Clone to copy one hard drive to another.
- Practical Cloning Settings
✿ SSD Alignment: Accelerate the reading and writing speed of the target SSD.
✿ Sector By Sector Clone: Clone all sectors on the old disk whether used or not. It requires the target disk to be larger than or equal to the source disk.
✿ Edit Partitions: Adjust partition size of target disk. You can choose "Copy without resizing partitions", "Add unused space to all partitions", or "Manually adjust partition size". The second option is recommended since it is smarter.
Boot Windows from the new disk after cloning
Please note the Standard edition only supports cloning non-system disks. If you want to clone a disk containing OS, please upgrade to AOMEI Backupper Professional.
After transferring OS to another drive, you may wonder how to boot from the new disk. Here are two situations:
Situation 1: Your computer has more than one hard drive slot
In this case, you can leave your old hard drive in as extra storage, and just install your new disk alongside it. Then, enter BIOS and set the new disk as the first boot device.
Situation 2: Your computer has only one hard drive slot
In this case, you need to remove your old hard drive and replace it with your new disk. Restart your computer, and it will automatically boot from the cloned drive.
Bonus: A glance at other Windows 10 cloning tools
Now let’s have a look at some other free Windows 10 cloning tools.
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Macrium Reflect Free |
Clonezilla |
DiskGenius |
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Key Features |
Clones and images your hard drive or SSD with ease. It offers disk cloning, backup, and recovery options. |
An open-source cloning tool that supports disk-to-disk cloning, disk imaging, and partitioning. |
Offers disk cloning, partition management, and data recovery features in one tool. |
|
Pros |
Reliable, fast, and features a simple interface. Supports both MBR and GPT partition styles. |
Powerful and versatile, supports a wide range of file systems and partition layouts. |
Supports a variety of partition types and file systems. Allows for easy resizing during cloning. |
|
Cons |
The free edition has been discontinued since 1st January 2024. |
The interface is text-based, which may be intimidating for beginners. No real-time support. |
Some advanced features are only available in the paid version. |
Conclusion
AOMEI Backupper Standard is the best free disk cloning software for Windows 10, which enables you to copy data from one hard drive to another easily and securely. It is suggested to download this software to have a try. After all, practice is the only criterion for testing truth.
For IT maintenance and support engineers, it's suggested to use the Technician or Technician Plus edition. It is convenient to backup, restore or clone on different computers without installing it first by creating portable version of this software.
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